A partial revision of the Customs Act passed recently by the Legislative Yuan provides for the establishment of the Customs-Port-Trade (CPT) Single Window, by integrating Customs Clearance System of the Ministry of Finance (MOF), MTNet of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and Trade Facilitation eNet of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This will greatly simplify import and export procedures once the new system goes online in August.
Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford notes that the coming simplification is designed to conform to international norms. In the future, businesses will be able to go online and enjoy one-stop services for everything from customs and harbor management to import/export licensing, inspection, and quarantine through the CPT Single Window.
Besides integrating customs clearance, licensing, and harbor information systems to provide one-stop services, the CPT Single Window will also bring together information from government agencies and traders in a central database that gives access to all kinds of import and export information. Further, the Ministry of Finance is negotiating with foreign governments for the cross-border exchange of information with the aim of expanding the CMT Single Window into an e-commerce information platform for international trade and logistics businesses.
According to the MOF, once the new single window is established it will save an estimated NT$720 million for the government and NT$850 million for businesses annually. In addition, the integration of information on import, export, and transshipment goods with trade statistics will help government agencies and businesses obtain a real-time understanding of changes in trade and help the government respond to those changes in a timely manner.
